Volunteer, 95, still works at Fla. school
ORMOND BEACH. (AP) – Genevieve Russo remembers her mother giving her a nickel every day to ride the trolley from her home in Brooklyn to St. Francis of Xavier Catholic School.
Russo was more interested in an after-school treat than saving steps on her way to class, so she put the nickel aside every day to buy a pickle from a large wooden barrel at a neighborhood store on her way home.
Now 95, Russo still goes to school every day, but she counts her rewards in children’s smiles and staff friendships instead of nickels and pickles.
She volunteers in the office every day at Pathways Elementary, where students, staff and Ormond Beach Mayor Fred Costello gathered recently to surprise Russo with a celebration of her 95th birthday.
“She’s part of the family,” Pathways guidance counselor Kathy Lowery said of the former teacher who has volunteered at Pathways since she moved here from Miami in 2002. “It’s just her spirit. She’s a gentle, positive soul who has a smile for everyone and never gives up. She’s our heroine.”
Russo’s spirit has been tried many times, including the five years she spent worrying about her husband Michael’s safety as he served in Europe during World War II, his 1971 death in a car accident and her 1990 heart attack that was serious enough for a priest to administer last rites.